Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/213

204 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. upahafene, gescende. And ðeah oft gebyreð ðæt ða bioð mid lifelicre race gehwirfde, & eft ða medwisan oft mid bisenum gehwirfde. Ðæm lytegan ðonne is betre ðæt hie mid ryhtre race weorðen oferreahte & mid ðære race gebundene & oferswiðde. Ðæm medwisan bið genoh god ðæt he gecnawe oðerra monna worc untalwyrðe. Be ðæm se æðela lareow sanctus Paulus, se sceolde læran ægðer ge wise ge unwise, ða he ongeat ða Ebreas sume wisran, sume medwisran, ða manode he, & cwæð to ðæm gelæredum ðara ealdena boca mid liðelicum wordum : Ðætte nu forealdod is, ðæt is forneah losod. And eft he cwæð to ðæm medwisan ða he ongeat ðæt hie mon mid swerum [sumum] bisenum monian sceolde: Đa halgan men geðafedon on ðisse worlde monig bismer & monige swyngean & monige bendas & karcernu, hie wæron stænde, & snidene mid snide, hie wæron costode, & mid sweordum hie wæron ofslægene. And eft cwæð Paulus : Gemunað eowerra foregengena ðara þe eow bodedon Godes word, & behealdað hiera liif & hiera forsiið, & gongað on ðone geleafan. Forðon he ðus cwæð ðæt he ða lotwrenceas oferwunne & oferreahte; & eac ða medwisan to maran onginne mid ðære liðelican bisnunga gespone.

XXXI. Dætte on oðre wisan sint to manianne ða scamfæstan, on odre ða scamleasan.

On oðre wisan sint to læronne ða scamleasan, on oðre ða scamfæstan. Đæm scamleasan ne wyrð no gestiered butan micelre tælinge & miclum ðrean; þa scamfæstan bioð oft mid gemetlicre lare gebetrode.

are puffed up with the guiles of this world.” And yet it often happens that they are converted with mild arguments, and the simple, again, with examples. It is better for the cunning to be convinced by a righteous argument, and to be bound and overcome by the argument. It is good enough for the simple to know that other men's works are blameless. Therefore the noble teacher, St. Paul, who had to teach both wise and foolish, perceiving some of the Jews to be wiser, others simpler, said, admonishing those learned in the old books with gentle words: “That which is now antiquated, is almost dissolved.” And, again, he said to the foolish, perceiving that they ought to be ad- monished with some examples: “Holy men suffered in this world many indignities and stripes, and many bonds and prisons, they were stoned,